Consumer watchdog eyes petrol stations with prices poised to spike
Officers from Consumer and Business Services are out in force this week to ensure petrol stations comply with South Australia’s real-time petrol pricing scheme.
Photo: AAP/Bianca De Marchi
It comes with the Federal Government’s 22 per cent cut to petrol taxes due to end tomorrow.
There are fears prices could spike by more than 20 cents a litre.
Petrol stations are required to log any price changes within 30 minutes so they can be shared publicly via free apps.
Over the coming days, staff from CBS are expecting to conduct dozens of checks at service stations across metropolitan and regional South Australia to ensure petrol stations are fulfilling their responsibilities.
“It’s been pleasing to see that since the scheme came into effect, most servos have done the right thing,” said Minister for Consumer and Business Affairs, Andrea Michaels.
“With more than one thousand inspections conducted, we’ve seen warnings issued for approximately 230 matters, with nine matters resulting in expiation notices.
“CBS will be continuing to enforce the scheme as a matter of priority to ensure motorists have access to accurate, up-to-date information about petrol prices near them.”
Industry estimates that there will be more than 700 million litres of lower excise fuel in the system when the fuel excise is reintroduced.
The Federal government says prices shouldn’t spike straight away.
“We would look very firmly down on any petrol station that has supplies purchased under the previous arrangement that sees the need overnight to jack the price up 23 cents a litre,” Finance Minister Katy Gallagher said.
The cut to the fuel excise was put in place by the former coalition government for six months to help Australians struggling with the cost of living and soaring petrol prices due to the war in Ukraine.
Labor said it would continue with the six-month timeframe without extension due to pressures on the budget.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers says it would cost the government $6 billion a year to keep the excise cut.
The head of the Australasian Convenience and Petroleum Marketers Association said the situation had changed from when prices spiked after Russia invaded Ukraine.
“If ever there was a time where you’d be talking about reinstalling the excise, it’s probably about now,” Mark McKenzie told the ABC.
“Recessionary pressures are actually pushing the global price down.
“We’re likely to see prices after the excise on an average basis … lower than they were before the excise was cut in March.”
-with AAP
